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West Virginia man carries on father’s fly-tying legacy

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Every time Joe Messinger Jr. ties one of his trademark deer-hair frogs, he’s carrying on a family legacy that dates back almost a century. His father, Joe Messinger Sr., invented the Messinger Bucktail Frog for one overarching purpose — to catch bass. The pattern proved so effective, and so durable, that the lures sometimes lasted for decades. “Dad came up with the pattern sometime around 1920, and he tied it until he passed away in 1966,” Joe Jr. said. “Some of his frogs are still circulating around, mainly among collectors.” They’re ...

The future of hunting needs a helping hand

If hunting in general were a business — which some can make the argument it is — we as the committee members in charge would be in full-on panic mode. It’s estimated that in a five year span between 2011-2016 that we lost nearly 2.2 million licensed hunters nationwide — not exactly an exciting trend. There are many reasons as to why one chooses to stop hunting, but for me and my experience, hunter burnout would have to be one of the biggest. Hunter burnout is simply like any other kind of burnout where we lose the passion and drive that once pushed us into the outdoor ...

The Christmas gun: A holiday tradition

Jim parked his car in the driveway and approached the old house. He climbed the steps and knocked on the door. Inside he heard a dog bark, and soon the door swung open. An old man stood in the doorway, with a tiny Jack Russell terrier at his feet. “He won’t bite,” said the old man. “He just thinks that everyone comes just to see him.” Jim introduced himself and the old man invited him in. “You Ted’s boy?” Jim smiled. At 40, it had been a while since anyone called him Ted’s boy. When Jim answered in the affirmative, the old man continued, “Knew your daddy. He was a ...

When fox season opens, it’s all about the chase

GLASGOW, Va. (AP) — A distant, deep woods howling sharpened into the baying and barking of hounds as riders gathered recently in the opening meet of the official fox hunting season, hosted by the Rockbridge Hunt, joined by the Glenmore Hunt. Several formally dressed riders encircled Rockbridge Hunt’s master of foxhounds Cindy Morton, astride C.J., her Irish draft horse, and the Rev. Philip Parker, who led the group in prayer to bless the hounds. This medieval tradition seeks protection for the hounds from disease and safety from harm during the hunt. Joe Manning, 58, is master ...

Veteran ranger heading to country’s first national park

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Sarah Davis has enjoyed her time in Tupelo and has nothing but praise for the people and environment. “The people are friendly, Tupelo is a great size town with a great location,” said Davis, the chief ranger for the Natchez Trace Parkway. “It’s five hours to the beach and four hours to the mountains. “I enjoy hunting and fishing, and this is a sportsman’s paradise.” Davis is heading to Yellowstone National Park, where she will become its first female chief ranger. Davis, a 20-year veteran of the National Park Service, came to Tupelo in 2012 ...

It has never been easier for mentors to recruit

WEST CHESTER — Derek Stoner congratulated everyone in the room who had served at least once as a mentor in the Pennsylvania Game Commission Mentored Youth Hunting Program that allows youth younger than 12 years of age to hunt squirrels, rabbits, doves, woodchucks, coyotes, deer and turkeys under the immediate supervision of a licensed adult hunter. Mentored youth younger than age 7 are not issued a big-game harvest tags with their Mentored Youth permit, but may take a deer or turkey when an adult mentor transfers their tag. Also, the mentor and mentored youth may possess just one ...